Former Site of the Second Field Army’s Yangtze River Crossing Command

　　During the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, this was the former site of the headquarters of the Second Field Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (abbreviated as the Second Field Army Command for the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign), situated within the campus of Tongcheng Middle School on North Street in Tongcheng City. On April 19, 1949, the headquarters relocated here from Shucheng. The operations room was set up in the school library, which is a modern building built on a high platform foundation, covering an area of 231 square meters. It faces east and is supported by a post-and-lintel wooden structure with brick and wood materials, resting on a stone and brick platform base. The building is one bay wide and three bays deep, with a surrounding corridor that is 1.2 meters wide. The corridor is supported by 16 wooden pillars, each resting on square stone bases. Brick partition walls divide the interior, with a main gate on the east side and five arched windows on both the north and south walls, along with side doors on either side. Two arched windows are located on the west wall. The beam structure is exposed, featuring five large seven-rafter beams, connected at the corners with diagonal beams. The roof has four sloping sides and is covered with small tiles. It is now open to domestic and international visitors as the “Exhibition Hall of the Second Field Army’s Yangtze River Crossing Command.”

　　According to the Second Field Army’s “Chronicle of Major Events” and the “Field Diary” of the Second Field Army Command: On April 15, the Second Field Army held a meeting here for officers at the division level and above. - The spirit of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee was conveyed, - and the troops were called upon: “To exert maximum effort in preparing for the Yangtze River Crossing operation and to intensify political and ideological work.” On April 17, Liu and Deng issued orders to the western line forces to commence the river crossing operation on April 21, deciding on the deployment for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Corps under their command to cross the river. On April 19, “the Field Command Headquarters was all stationed in Tongcheng to direct operations.” On April 21, “the Second Field Army forces followed orders, beginning artillery bombardment at 17:30 and starting to board boats for the river crossing at 17:55.” After achieving a full victory in the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, the headquarters left Tongcheng on April 28, passed through Hefei and Quanjiao, and arrived in Nanjing on April 29.